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Thread: cab swap...any helpful hints?
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VIC_20
Newbie
BRAP
Posts: 9
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posted June 07, 2007 05:52 AM |
 Edited By: VIC_20 on 7 Jun 2007 05:54 |
Cab swap...Any helpful hints?
Hey all,
I have a 74 REPU. It drives, but the floor is almost rusted away. (I can touch the left front tire with my toe from the driver's seat.
Last weekend I picked up a very clean, rust free cab from a 74 courier, for ten dollars. (Old fleet vehicle from the local college)
I'd appreciate tips from anyone who's done this before.
I'll be taking photos all along the way, so look out for a pictoral guide in the near future. (Or at least a record of me failing) (;
Will the transmission tunnel work, or will I need to mod it?
I start this weekend.
Thanks
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mazdarx605
Redlining
Posts: 314
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posted June 07, 2007 02:48 PM |
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Good luck with the project,and nice looking RE/PU you have there.
While I have never swapped a cab on a truck I did however remove an old rusty cab from a frame on one of my old toyota trucks,and it went a lot easier than I anticipated.At the time I had never even changed my own oil in a car,and I took on this toyota as a project.The truck was a 1982,so I am guessing it is very similar in the way it is/was assembled compared to a mid 70's mazda(they all sort of copy each other).
My only bit of help is to label things you are unsure of like wiring(the japanese seem to be prtty good about wiring only pluging into one thing in the area of said harnesses),and bolts that can't be put back in a part with removal should be marked in a zip-loc bag,or similar.I find it easiest to mark things while I remove them,and take pictures if I am usure of things as well.The picture thing is way easier now with digital cameras.
Good luck
Chris
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Klaus44
Redlining
Posts: 365
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posted June 07, 2007 09:20 PM |
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Someone else...
...who's more knowledgeable than I on Couriers as well as REPU's (Charles?)might have some wisdom to offer... My main concern would be *any* differences between the two, however slight, which might make reassembly a royal pain... (?)
Might want to consider swapping cab floors -- or just a straight-up floor panel repair, instead?
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jfaplanet
Redlining
Posts: 356
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posted June 07, 2007 10:54 PM |
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Thanks Klaus
Well first off this is Charles, and by no means and expert. But I have done a couple of cab swaps in the past. One being a Courier. First let me say that you will have some problems with the firewall. The Courier never came with power brakes so the brake booster and clutch will not fit where the holes are on the courier cab. That said, if you have the REPU cab, you can make it work. Mounting holes in the floor are the same but the ones at the radiator support are different. The difference being the Courier frame is narrower, so the mounting points are narrower than the REPU frame. As for as the trans hump, it shouldn`t be a problem. The fenders mount differently at the radiator support also, so you`ll have to use the radiator support to get the headlights and radiator and fenders to bolt up properly. Good luck with it, but you might be better off to take the courier floor pan and have a body shop weld it into the REPU cab. If you have any other questions I can take pics and answer if i know the correct answer.
____________
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74 RE-Courier vert
79 SA-SE(aka deathtrap)
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VIC_20
Newbie
BRAP
Posts: 9
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posted June 08, 2007 08:16 AM |
Edited By: VIC_20 on 8 Jun 2007 08:29
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Thanks for the advice so far! I bought a digital camera just for this project.
A picture says 1000 words, right?
I have a lot of other rust issues as well, so I'd rather swap the whole cab VS the floorpans only.
(off topic)
And look at this shady oil metering cable setup - The cable is tied at both ends, and it kind of wraps around the carb...I think I just scared myself.
I bought it like that.
jfa: Are you saying I could swap in the REPU radiator support and that would (more or less) solve that fitment issue?
Because the guy I got the cab from kinda already started the removal process.
mazdarx605: This is for you...
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Klaus44
Redlining
Posts: 365
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posted June 08, 2007 09:29 AM |
Edited By: Klaus44 on 8 Jun 2007 09:31
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Definitely...
...a REPU well worth saving, VIC; kudo's to you for being willing to take on the work!
(That hole is for left foot braking, right? ;))
...you *could* always just run pre-mix, if your metering oil setup is boogered...
Best of all, she used to be blue... and so is your donor cab... might she be blue once more, upon completion?
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VIC_20
Newbie
BRAP
Posts: 9
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posted June 08, 2007 10:51 AM |
Edited By: VIC_20 on 8 Jun 2007 11:14
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Thanks Klaus!
Yeah I like primer black as much as the next guy, but the factory blue sure is pretty.
A paintjob is definately in the cards after I finish this swap.
I'm leaning towards the Rustoleum/Hand Roller method which appears to give good results.
This car was hand painted that way:
Learned it here
The good stuff starts 1/3 of the way down the first page..
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Klaus44
Redlining
Posts: 365
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posted June 08, 2007 02:39 PM |
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Thank *YOU*, VIC!
That's some excellent information! Just about every one of 'yeehawcharger69's posts (sp?) regarding that painting/thinning/sanding technique is most interesting.
I'm starting to think that, just maybe, even I might be able to afford some decent results!
Single-stage success for cheep, with a tough-as-nails finish, and all it takes is lots of time, care, and patience?
Perfect for our trucks! :)
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bwaits
Hauling
Posts: 119
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posted July 04, 2007 08:03 AM |
Edited By: bwaits on 4 Jul 2007 08:06
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I am SLOWLY working on a repu with rust issues. I came up with a 74 mazda piston cab. I am not sure if the ford cab is the same as my mazda cab but this is what I did.
I found like Charles said the entire front section needed to be replaced in order to hang the light buckets, grill and such. I also found the lower inner wheel wells were different then the REPU.
The lower inner wheels wells are a single sheet and then half way up they are two panels (Inner and Outer) that wrap around and pinch weld on the outer side. I used a rota-broach (Spot weld driller) and removed the spot welds for the entire front section to the main horns that come from the firewall forward.
Then I cut along the seam for the lower wheel well to the top wheel well on the cab I wanted to use. You can see in these pictures what was left of the cab I am going to use.
I did the same to the repu cab but cut 1" above the seam. This gave me a flange to insert between the two upper panels that has been drilled for spot welds. I do not have pics of the section I used from the repu cab but it is basically everything else you do not see in these pictures. Some thought and planning and the repu section was kept in one piece and inserted to the blue cab.
The next hurdle for you will be the firewall area where the brake master and clutch master mount. You could just cut the part from the repu cab and weld it in place.
I will try to get some shots of the cab after the fact.
-billy
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r100guy
Newbie
Posts: 9
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posted July 04, 2007 11:27 AM |
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Just ran across a rust free REPU in a wrecking yard. Pretty stripped but the cab is there and would make a good replacement for yours. Have a photo of it but can't get it posted up.
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